Pressure member for pressing machines



Oct. 28, 1930. L. c. TUCKER lPRESSURE MEMBER FOR PRESSING MACHINESOriginal Filed July ll, 1927 lrllllllllll.

ATTORNEYS INVNTOR.

Patented Get. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOREN C. TUCKER, vOFSYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE PROSPERITY COM- PANY, INC., OFSYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK i PRESSURE MEMBER FORPRESSING MACHINES Application led July 11, 1927, Serial No. 204,720.Renewedugust 30, 1929.

This invention relates to pressing machines as garment and laundrypressing ma.- chines and has for its object a particularly simple,etlicient and economical pressure member by which the pressure isdelivered equally throughout the pressure face and by which inequalitiesin thicknesses of the article being pressed or inequalitiesdue toinaccuracies in the pressing machines are automatically compensated for.

lThe invention consists in the novel features and in the combinationsand constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing thls invention, reference 1s had to thel accompanyingdrawings in whichA like characters designate 'corresponding parts in allthe views. l

Figure 1 1s a vertical lengthwise sectional view of this pressingmember, the contiguous parts of the pressing elements as the head andbuck of a pressing machine being shown.

Figure 2 is a plan View of this pressure member.

Although this vpressure member is intended primarily for garment andlaundry pressing machines, it will be understood that it is applicableto other forms of pressing machines.

In the illustrated embodiment ot my invention, this pressure member isshown as applied to the lower element or buck 1 ofa. garment or `laundrypressing machine in which the head 2 moves toward and from the buck byany suitable mechanism. It will be understood however, that the head 2does .not apply pressure'hut merely has an opening and closing movementfor the purpose of permitting theoperator to arrange the garment orother article on the pressure I member and for removing the sametherewhich constitute the presser face of the pressure member and meansas hydraulic means for applying pressure to the inner ends of saidplungers.

rlhe pressure member here illustrated comprises a hollow body 3 dividedby an expansible element as a flexible or resilient diaphragm 4 intoupper and lower chambers 5 and 6.

7 designates the plungers which are vmovable through guide openings 8 inthe upper Wall of the body with their lower en ds engaging the diaphragm4. These plungers are preferably spaced as close together as possible sothat their end faces 9 constitute a substantially continuous presserface.

The body 3 is placed upon the buck and the chamber 6 below thediaphragm' filled with a Huid as water or oil andv connected by a pipel() ext-ending through the buck to a suitable source of' supply of apressure as compressed air or water pressure to apply pressure to thefluid in the chamber 6'. The application of pressure to the fluid in thechamber 6 is controlled in any suitable manner. The faces S) of theplungers are also usually covered with a suitable padding 1l.

In operation, utter the garment has been placed on the padding ll andthe head 2 brought down and locked in closed position, the pressure isapplied through the liquid in thevhydraulic chauiber (i expanding thediaphragm 4 causing it to push the plungers 2 upwardly and applypressure. Those plungers underlying the Athicker portions of the garmentas seams, buttons etc., will obviously not be depressed as'much as theother plungers but the pressure will be equalized through the hydraulicfluid.

Also, if the operators hand for any rcasro becomes caught between thehead l and the garment, the plungers underlying thc hand Will bedepressed inwardly 'farther than the other plungers without gripping orinjuring the hand. -The hand may be burned as the head 2 is usuallyformed hollow and heated but no injury will result because of thepressure. in pressing machines now used, the hands of the operatorarenot only vburned but also crushed.

This pressing machine element is particularly advantageous in thatpressure can be applied to pressing machines in a simple and economicalmanner without more or less complicated mechanical motion transmittingmeans and motors etc., and in fact, Water pressure can be used to applypressure to the fluid in the chamber 6.

' lVhat I claim is:

1. A pressing machine comprising cooperating pressing elements, one ofwhich is movable toward and from the other, one of said elements beingformed hollow and provided with a diaphragm therein dividing the saineinto two compartments, one of said compartments being a pressure chamberand the other compartment being provided with a plurality of closelyarranged plungers movable therethrough, the inner ends of the plungersengaging the diaphragm, the outer end surfaces of the plungersconstituting the pressure face of said element.

2. A pressure member for pressing machines comprising a hollow bodyhaving a diaphragm dividing the same into two compartments,fonecompartment being a pressure chamber and the other compartment having aplurality of sliding plungers guided therein and coacting at their innerends With the diaphragm and having their outer ends located outside ofthe chamber for transferring the movement of the diaphragm.

3. A pressure member for pressing machines comprising a hollow bodyhaving a diaphragm dividing the same into two compartments, onecompartment being a pressure chamber and the other compartment having aplurality of sliding plungers guided therein and coacting at their innerends with the diaphragm and having their outer ends located outside ofthe chamber for transferring the movement of the diaphragm, saidplungers being located close together and the end faces thereof formingthe pressure face of said member.

4. A pressin machine member comprising a body, a plura ity of closely saced plungers slidable through a wall of the body, the outer ends ofsaid plungers constituting the pressure face of said member and powermeans within the body acting on the inner ends of the plungers andcommon to all of the same and servin to equalize the pressure on theplungers w en some are depressed more than others.

5. A pressing machine member comprising a body, a-plurality of closelyspaced plungers extending through a wall of the body, the outer ends ofsaid lungers constituting the pressure face of said member and hydraulicmeans within the body acting on the inner ends of the plungers, saidpressure means being common to all the plungers whereby there is anequalizing action between the plungers.

6. A pressing machine member 'comprising `comprising an expansibleelement in the body foi-ming a pressure chamberv for a hydraulic fluid.

8. A pressing machine element comprising a hollow body provided with adiaphragm, the

body on one side of the diaphragm being a pressure chamber and aplurality of pressure delivering parts mounted on the other side of thediaphragm and having portions spaced apart from the diaphragm andforming a supporting surface for the article to be pressed.

9. A pressing machine comprising cooperating pressing elements, one ofwhich is movable toward and from the other, one of said elements beingformed hollow and provided with a diaphragm forming a pressure chamberon one side of the diaphragm and pressure delivering parts on the otherside of the diaphragm having their inner ends pressing against thediaphragm and having outer portions spaced apart from the diaphragm, theouter portions normally forming an even supporting surface for thearticle to be pressed.

10. A pressing machine member comprising a plate, a plurality of closelyspaced plungers slidable through said plate, theV upper ends of saidplungers providing the pressing surface of the pressing machine member,pressure producing means acting on the inner ends of the plungers and afluid pressurechamber having a flexible top in contact with theinner-ends of the plungers for, exerting pressure upon said plungers.

1l. A pressing machine member comprising a plate, a plurality of closelyspaced plungers slidable throughl said plate, the upper ends of saidlungers providing the pressing surface of t e pressing machine member,and a common pressure producin means acting on the inner end of each oft e lun'gers.

In testimony whereof, I have ereunto signed m name, at Syracuse, in thecounty of Onon aga and in the State of New York,

CERTIFICATE GF CGRREGTHGN.

Patent No. i,78t},050. Granted October 28, 1930, to

LOREN C. TUCKER.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring' correction as follows: Page 2,lines 62 to 64, claim 5, strike out said pressure means being common toall Y.the plonger-s whereby there is an equalizing action between theplungers" and insert same to follow after "piangere" line 69, claim 6;and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these correctionstherein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent fice.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of December, A. D. 1930.

,L Moore, (Seal) Actingl Commissioner of Patents.

